| EIGHT MILE WEST |
The Eight Mile West bus line can definitely go down in Detroit transit history as a route that had many lives,
although most of them were short-lived. Interestingly, the existence of a West Eight Mile bus line seemed
to henge upon which route the DSR decided to assign to its Conant or Conant-W. Eight Mile bus routes.
THE EARLY D.S.R. YEARS:
The existence of bus service along Eight Mile actually owes its beginnings to the success of the Ford Motor Company
Highland Park Assembly Plant, the birthplace of the Model T and the $5-a-day wage. As the population in the newly
acquired territory along the city's north-end began to boom as a result of the Ford plant, the demand arose to provide
better service to the plant from that area, which up until then had been unserviced by public transportation.
On Sunday, November 16, 1924, the DSR launched its Eight Mile Road bus line. This was actually the third bus line to
be put into operation under the DSR, being launched prior to the start of the department's motor coach division. Since
the DSR had no buses at the time, service along Eight Mile was operated under contract arrangement with the Detroit
Morotbus Company. However, after the launching of the DSR's Motor Coach Division on January 1, 1925, and as
more buses became available, the DSR took over operation of the line on June 22, 1925.
The original Eight Mile route operated from Woodward and Manchester in Highland Park to West Eight Mile and Turner,
west of Livernois. On April 5, 1925, the route was extended to Wyoming, but now terminated at the State Fairgrounds,
where it connected with the Woodward streetcar line, which had now been extended to the Fairgrounds. Aside from a
brief interruption in service in 1933, the Eight Mile line would continue to operate until it was replaced by the extension
of the Conant line to Eight Mile and Wyoming on February 15, 1937.
WORLD WAR-II YEARS:
The next existence of the Eight Mile West began on June 1, 1942, when it operated as the Eight Mile West Shuttle.
The line operated from the Fairgrounds and traveled via Woodward and Eight Mile Road to Schaefer and W. Eight Mile.
The shuttle's only hours of operation were during evenings and Sundays —- as it replaced a portion of the Woodward
bus route (the former Woodward Delux*route) during that line's non-operating hours.
However— just four weeks later— on June 29, 1942, the shuttle would become a full time bus route, and was renamed
Eight Mile West. It replaced the Eight Mile branch of the Woodward coach line —- which had branches along Seven
and Eight Mile Roads. The Woodward bus service had been discontinued after the Office of Defence Transportation
(ODT) banned bus lines that duplicated streetcar routes. The purpose was to help conserve gasoline and rubber during
the war. This new bus line was launched to continue service along Eight Mile Road. Effective September 8th, service was
extended to Eight Mile and Lahser. But after two years the Eight Mile West line was discontinued — effective June 14,
1944 — after the Conant route was once again extended along Eight Mile, creating the Conant-Eight Mile West bus
line.
THE POST-WAR YEARS:
The Eight Mile Shuttle service was again resurrected on Sunday, July 18, 1948, after the Conant-Eight Mile line was
cut back to Meyers Road. The 4-½ mile long shuttle route operated along Eight Mile, from Meyers to Lahser. Although
the shuttle would operate a few years longer than the route that precessed it, its fate would be the same. Effective April
24, 1953, the Eight Mile Shuttle was also discontinued and again replaced by an extension of the Conant-Eight Mile
West route.
although most of them were short-lived. Interestingly, the existence of a West Eight Mile bus line seemed
to henge upon which route the DSR decided to assign to its Conant or Conant-W. Eight Mile bus routes.
THE EARLY D.S.R. YEARS:
The existence of bus service along Eight Mile actually owes its beginnings to the success of the Ford Motor Company
Highland Park Assembly Plant, the birthplace of the Model T and the $5-a-day wage. As the population in the newly
acquired territory along the city's north-end began to boom as a result of the Ford plant, the demand arose to provide
better service to the plant from that area, which up until then had been unserviced by public transportation.
On Sunday, November 16, 1924, the DSR launched its Eight Mile Road bus line. This was actually the third bus line to
be put into operation under the DSR, being launched prior to the start of the department's motor coach division. Since
the DSR had no buses at the time, service along Eight Mile was operated under contract arrangement with the Detroit
Morotbus Company. However, after the launching of the DSR's Motor Coach Division on January 1, 1925, and as
more buses became available, the DSR took over operation of the line on June 22, 1925.
The original Eight Mile route operated from Woodward and Manchester in Highland Park to West Eight Mile and Turner,
west of Livernois. On April 5, 1925, the route was extended to Wyoming, but now terminated at the State Fairgrounds,
where it connected with the Woodward streetcar line, which had now been extended to the Fairgrounds. Aside from a
brief interruption in service in 1933, the Eight Mile line would continue to operate until it was replaced by the extension
of the Conant line to Eight Mile and Wyoming on February 15, 1937.
WORLD WAR-II YEARS:
The next existence of the Eight Mile West began on June 1, 1942, when it operated as the Eight Mile West Shuttle.
The line operated from the Fairgrounds and traveled via Woodward and Eight Mile Road to Schaefer and W. Eight Mile.
The shuttle's only hours of operation were during evenings and Sundays —- as it replaced a portion of the Woodward
bus route (the former Woodward Delux*route) during that line's non-operating hours.
However— just four weeks later— on June 29, 1942, the shuttle would become a full time bus route, and was renamed
Eight Mile West. It replaced the Eight Mile branch of the Woodward coach line —- which had branches along Seven
and Eight Mile Roads. The Woodward bus service had been discontinued after the Office of Defence Transportation
(ODT) banned bus lines that duplicated streetcar routes. The purpose was to help conserve gasoline and rubber during
the war. This new bus line was launched to continue service along Eight Mile Road. Effective September 8th, service was
extended to Eight Mile and Lahser. But after two years the Eight Mile West line was discontinued — effective June 14,
1944 — after the Conant route was once again extended along Eight Mile, creating the Conant-Eight Mile West bus
line.
THE POST-WAR YEARS:
The Eight Mile Shuttle service was again resurrected on Sunday, July 18, 1948, after the Conant-Eight Mile line was
cut back to Meyers Road. The 4-½ mile long shuttle route operated along Eight Mile, from Meyers to Lahser. Although
the shuttle would operate a few years longer than the route that precessed it, its fate would be the same. Effective April
24, 1953, the Eight Mile Shuttle was also discontinued and again replaced by an extension of the Conant-Eight Mile
West route.
| Information for the above article compiled from data info supplied by Jack E. Schramm, courtesy of "DSR BUS ROUTES, 1932-1945" ("Detroit's DSR, Part 2" -- March-April 1992 edition of Motor Coach Age magazine), and "DSR BUS ROUTES, 1945-1975" ("Detroit's DSR, Part 3" -- May-June 1993 edition of Motor Coach Age magazine), and also from the 1957-58 and 1963 DSR Service Maps already in the author's possession. Additional information courtesy of the Stan Sycko Transit Collection. |
| Click here to return to the "BUS ROUTE HISTORY" Main Page. |
But the Eight Mile West route wasn't dead yet.
Effective October 29, 1956, service began along
Eight Mile Road from the Northland Shopping
Center to Eight Mile and Inkster Road (near Grand
River). However, on April 1, 1957, the line was
extended south along Beech Road (present day
Beech Daly) to Joy Road (six miles to the south),
and was renamed Eight Mile–Beech Road. But
this short–lived route was discontinued in just over
two months, with the portion along Eight Mile Road
again being replaced by the Conant–Eight Mile
line, effective on June 20, 1957. The Conant line
would continue to service W. Eight Mile Road, from
the Fairgrounds Loop to Lahser, until its Eight Mile
Road operation was eventually taken over on June
25, 1994 by the former #17 Eight Mile East line,
which was extended along W. Eight Mile in 1980.
Effective October 29, 1956, service began along
Eight Mile Road from the Northland Shopping
Center to Eight Mile and Inkster Road (near Grand
River). However, on April 1, 1957, the line was
extended south along Beech Road (present day
Beech Daly) to Joy Road (six miles to the south),
and was renamed Eight Mile–Beech Road. But
this short–lived route was discontinued in just over
two months, with the portion along Eight Mile Road
again being replaced by the Conant–Eight Mile
line, effective on June 20, 1957. The Conant line
would continue to service W. Eight Mile Road, from
the Fairgrounds Loop to Lahser, until its Eight Mile
Road operation was eventually taken over on June
25, 1994 by the former #17 Eight Mile East line,
which was extended along W. Eight Mile in 1980.
*DELUX ROUTES were originally extra-fare fast service lines initiated in 1928 by the DSR after jitneys were outlawed off of Detroit
streets. Smaller 15-passenger parlor buses were used and operated sort of like "jitney-buses," so to speak. There were no transfers
issued or accepted, and once all seats were filled a sign was placed in the windshield and the bus ran nonstop until a passenger got
off. These so-called "Delux routes" operated on Woodward, Grand River, Mack and Jefferson — all former jitney lines. But by 1938,
regular buses were being used and the two remaining Delux routes became regular bus lines, and were used to supplement street-
car service along Grand River and Woodward. However, these lines were discontinued in 1942 by federal order under the ODT.
streets. Smaller 15-passenger parlor buses were used and operated sort of like "jitney-buses," so to speak. There were no transfers
issued or accepted, and once all seats were filled a sign was placed in the windshield and the bus ran nonstop until a passenger got
off. These so-called "Delux routes" operated on Woodward, Grand River, Mack and Jefferson — all former jitney lines. But by 1938,
regular buses were being used and the two remaining Delux routes became regular bus lines, and were used to supplement street-
car service along Grand River and Woodward. However, these lines were discontinued in 1942 by federal order under the ODT.
| © 2006 (PAGE LAST MODIFIED ON 11-29-09) |
Click on printer icon for the Printer Friendly version
| During World War II and the years that followed, four separate bus routes would operate along West Eight Mile Road. The map above features three of the routes that operated between 1942 and 1957, with each route highlighted by a different color-code. The map of the fourth and final route "EIGHT MILE WEST" is pictured below. |
THE FINAL YEARS:
That final resurrection of the Eight Mile West would occur on April 1, 1960, when the Eight Mile West would replace
a portion of the former Five Points bus route. This new route now operated from McNichols at Rockdale, via McNichols,
Lahser, and W. Eight Mile, to Eight Mile and Grand River (just past Inkster Road). Although ridership was light, the Eight
Mile West line would continue to operate as a separate line for nearly six-and-a-half years. The line was discontinued for
the last time on September 7, 1966, however, this time it was replaced by the Imperial Express line, where it continu-
ed as an Imperial "Seven Mile" Express off-peak hour shuttle well into the DDOT years (with peak-hour branch trips
via Lahser and Eight Mile Road). Today, route #78 Imperial Limited still operates a few peak–hour branch trips along
the former Eight Mile West route, but only to Eight Mile and Five Points (the city limits).
The former Eight Mile West line operated only during peak hours, Monday thru Friday, with coaches scheduled every
forty minutes. To view a 1960 DSR flyer announcing the new EIGHT MILE WEST line see D.S.R. BULLETIN.
That final resurrection of the Eight Mile West would occur on April 1, 1960, when the Eight Mile West would replace
a portion of the former Five Points bus route. This new route now operated from McNichols at Rockdale, via McNichols,
Lahser, and W. Eight Mile, to Eight Mile and Grand River (just past Inkster Road). Although ridership was light, the Eight
Mile West line would continue to operate as a separate line for nearly six-and-a-half years. The line was discontinued for
the last time on September 7, 1966, however, this time it was replaced by the Imperial Express line, where it continu-
ed as an Imperial "Seven Mile" Express off-peak hour shuttle well into the DDOT years (with peak-hour branch trips
via Lahser and Eight Mile Road). Today, route #78 Imperial Limited still operates a few peak–hour branch trips along
the former Eight Mile West route, but only to Eight Mile and Five Points (the city limits).
The former Eight Mile West line operated only during peak hours, Monday thru Friday, with coaches scheduled every
forty minutes. To view a 1960 DSR flyer announcing the new EIGHT MILE WEST line see D.S.R. BULLETIN.
| The above map shows the route followed by the Eight Mile West bus line during its last years of operation. The 5-mile long route provided bus service to the far northwest corner of the city. Two extra-fare 5¢ zones were in place outside the city limits. |
Route operated under DSR
